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T-Mobile today announced the US carrier will be guaranteeing the best trade-in prices for customers looking to upgrade their iPhone and/or iPad. The company aims to best AT&T, Sprint and Verizon by offering $50, as well as the difference back, if consumers find a better deal elsewhere. It's for a limited time only and kicks off on September 17. T-Mobile will monitor the market and adjust trade-in prices accordingly.

Microsoft remains on its path to protect consumers against the prying US government and now both Apple and Cisco have joined the cause. The companies, along with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Verizon and AT&T are attempting to prevent the US government from issuing search warrants to demand data not physically stored in the country. Apple and Cisco have filed a joint brief in protest against this practice.

After launching its free voice calling option for its Facebook Messenger app earlier this year in the United States and Canada, Facebook has has quietly rolled out the same service for its UK users. The new calling feature for UK users is built into the Facebook Messenger app and if one of your contacts is online and capable of receiving a voice call you can now easily make a call.

Nielsen has wrapped up their latest market research data, and in the three months leading up to February, 43% of U.S. smartphone buyers got an iPhone. By comparison, 48% had bought an Android phone, and 5% picked up a BlackBerry.

Have you pre-ordered your new iPad yet? If not, you could be in for a bit of a wait. It seems that Apple have pushed back the shipping date in most counties. The Apple Store now displays 'Delivers between the 16th and the 20th March'. In the UK, it's even worse with '2-3 weeks'.

People in the US, have a little while longer to go yet; however Apple are warning that the new iPad is in 'limited supplies', so they could be seeing a delay very soon.

Did you manage to get your order in? If so, when are you expecting delivery

Noted Montreal iPhone photographer and videographer, Martin Reisch, better knows as *safe solvent™ on the internet, used a scan of his passport displayed on an iPad as identification while passing through the U.S. border from Canada. The man was visiting friends in Vermont when he realized that he had forgotten his passport. Luckily he had a scan of it saved on his iPad so decided to use it at the border.

Martin Reisch is certain that if Steve Jobs was alive, the tech innovator would have something to say about him.

Market research firm Distimo has issued a new report suggesting the App Store made huge gains in the China market in 2011. According to the report, China held just 18 percent of sales compared to the U.S. market at the beginning of the year, but by November 2011, downloads jumped all the way up to 30 percent. Apple also recently started allowing App Store purchases to be paid in Chinese yuan, which should add an additional boost to sales in the Chinese market as well.

Apple's one day discount event has started going live in Australia and the UK, among other countries. Deals seem to be as expected -- slim but fairly widespread -- on select iPod touch, iPad, Mac, Accessories, and even iTunes Gift Cards.

Unfortunately, you won't be getting any deals on the iPhone, iPod classic, iPod shuffle, Apple TV, Mac Pro and the Mac mini. (Sorry!)

According to the Apple website, it appears like US users no longer have the option to purchase an iPhone at no commitment pricing. In the US, AT&T is the exclusive carrier. A lot of users prefer to purchase a phone at no commitment price and unlock it for use on T-Mobile (and some people just don't like contracts). The AT&T websites still seems to be offering the no commitment price for the iPhone. Apparently you must purchase a no commitment iPhone in store. Doesn't make any sense to us either.